3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-GF vs PVB

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-GF comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
ABS-GF vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABSPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[5][6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[5][6][7][8]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[6][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[9][10]
Typical applicationsStiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][11]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[2]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[11][12]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s14 at Bambu Lab's 180 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][13]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; Bambu Lab positions the fibre as reducing warping[2]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[14]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[11]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[11]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[11]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher for the glass-filled grade[15][16]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[17][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][19][4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[18]Sealed with desiccant[18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][19][4]
Young's modulusMPa3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][4]
Elongation at break%6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[19]
Flexural strengthMPa68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[19][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[19][4]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][20]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 3160 MPa against 2200 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][20]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; notched Charpy falls to 4.2 kJ/m² against 21.5 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][20]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][20]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][19][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][20]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][19][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][19]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][19]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[21]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[14]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[22][11]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[22]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[22]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene dominates. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea[22][11]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[22][11]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[14]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[14]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedIsopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[23][11]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[24]
Dimensional accuracy & detailBambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[19]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[25][21]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[17]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[25][26]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[27][21]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[27][17]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. FibreX ABS+GF10 Glass Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ABS-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. ABS-GF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. SUNLU ABS-GF (ABS Glass Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. FIBREX ABS+GF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  23. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc